BTCC: Oulton Park report

NEWS FROM THE AUTO TRADER
RAC TOURING CAR CHAMPIONSHIP
Oulton Park, 11/8/96
Audi's Frank Biela moved to within one race win of clinching the
Auto Trader RAC Touring Car Championship for drivers after a 1-2
result in this afternoon's twin...

NEWS FROM THE AUTO TRADER
RAC TOURING CAR CHAMPIONSHIP
Oulton Park, 11/8/96
Audi's Frank Biela moved to within one race win of clinching the
Auto Trader RAC Touring Car Championship for drivers after a 1-2
result in this afternoon's twin rounds at Oulton Park in Cheshire.
Reigning Touring Car World Cup Champion Biela placed second
behind Renault's Alain Menu in round 19 of the series, then won
from pole position in round 20.
Biela now enjoys an 80-point advantage over his nearest rival in the
championship, Volvo's Rickard Rydell -- the Swede suffered a poor
day, finishing fifth in round 19 and retiring from round 20 after a
brush with John Cleland's Vauxhall.
Said Biela: 'For the first time I agree that the championship looks
safe. The next two races at Thruxton are still important but I'd like to
win the championship there so I can enjoy the final two meetings of
the year.'
The first race of the day was effectively won on the blast away from
the startline, Menu's Renault storming away from pole position man
David Leslie's Honda to take command of the race at the first corner.
Biela made an extraordinary start from fifth on the grid, making the
most of his Audi's four-wheel-drive traction to snatch second position
ahead of Leslie.
Behind there was opening-lap chaos as several cars clashed: Kelvin
Burt's Volvo and the Audi of John Bintcliffe tangled, Bintcliffe spun
and collected the Ford of Kiwi Paul Radisich. Both Radisich and
Bintcliffe were sidelined -- it was Audi's first retirement of the
season. Another incident saw James Thompson (Vauxhall) and
Patrick Watts (Peugeot) in collision, Watts was out immediately and
Thompson retired with accident damage a few laps later.
Menu quickly eased into a comfortable lead over Biela and Leslie, but
there was a furious battle behind for fourth place between Jo
Winkelhock (BMW), Rickard Rydell (Volvo) and Will Hoy
(Renault). Winkelhock held sway initially but Rydell found his way
past on lap three. Hoy then displaced Winkelhock from fifth and set
about closing the gap between himself and Rydell. Volvo held on in
front of Renault until nine laps from home.
The battle for the lead came alive in the closing stages -- Menu saw
his lead over Biela cut from two seconds at one-third distance to just
half a second with six laps to run. Then the championship leader
mounted an all-out attack on the dash to the flag, pulling alongside
Menu at one stage on the final lap, but he could not get ahead of the
Swiss ace. Menu's Renault was just 0.31secs clear of the Biela Audi
at the chequered flag, with Leslie a distant third for Honda. Hoy was
fourth with Rydell hanging on to fifth ahead of Winkelhock and the
duelling trio of John Cleland (Vauxhall), Kelvin Burt (Volvo) and
Roberto Ravaglia (BMW).
Biela made no mistake from pole position at the start of round 20,
snatching the lead at the first corner ahead of Leslie, Menu and
Winkelhock. And there the Audi man stayed all the way to the
chequered flag, though he was made to work hard for his seventh win
of the season -- Leslie was in his wheeltracks throughout the 27-lap
sprint, letting the gap ease out to just over the one-second mark only
in the closing stages.
Menu, meanwhile, led Leslie's pursuers and he in turn had
Winkelhock and Thompson in his mirrors throughout. On the final
lap, Thompson slid back and into Ravaglia's clutches, the BMW man
stealing fifth within sight of the flag. A strong run in sixth place
from Hoy came to nothing at mid distance when his Renault engine
expired. Rydell's troubled race in ninth place came to an end on lap
seven when he pitted with a broken track rod after clashing with
Cleland.
The battle for honours in the Total Cup for Privateers was led from
start to finish in both races by the Vauxhall of Richard Kaye, who as
a result narrows to six the points gap between himself and privateer
class leader Lee Brookes (Toyota).
The championship now moves to Thruxton in Hampshire on Bank
Holiday Monday, where a victory for Biela -- like that he scored there
in May -- would be enough to set the seal on his title ambitions. The
battle for manufacturer honours is less clear-cut, with Audi leading
BMW by just 22 points.
RESULTS
Auto Trader RAC Touring Car Championship, round 19
27 laps -- 44.6 miles / 71.8km
1 Alain Menu (Switz), Renault Laguna, 27m 39.89s, 97.20mph / 156.43kmh;
2 Frank Biela (Ger), Audi A4, +0.31s;
3 David Leslie (GB), Honda Accord, +9.57s;
4 Will Hoy (GB), Renault Laguna, +13.75s;
5 Rickard Rydell (Swe), Volvo 850, +16.86s;
6 Jo Winkelhock (Ger), BMW 320i, +18.45s;
7 John Cleland (GB), Vauxhall Vectra, +19.67s;
8 Kelvin Burt (GB), Volvo 850, +19.95s;
9 Roberto Ravaglia (It), BMW 320i, +19.97s;
10 James Kaye (GB), Honda Accord, +37.33s;
11 & Total Cup Privateers: Richard Kaye (GB), Vauxhall Cavalier,
+46.88s.
Fastest lap: Biela, 1m 00.57s, 98.66mph / 158.78kmh (record).
Round 20
27 laps -- 44.6 miles / 71.8km
1 Biela, 27m 46.14s, 96.84mph / 155.85kmh;
2 Leslie, +1.11s;
3 Menu, +1.73s;
4 Winkelhock, +2.45s;
5 Ravaglia, +9.67s;
6 James Thompson (GB), Vauxhall Vectra, +10.27s;
7 Cleland, +19.21s;
8 Burt, +20.29s;
9 John Bintcliffe (GB), Audi A4, +20.94s;
10 James Kaye, +26.99s.
13 & Total Cup Privateers: Richard Kaye, +40.00s.
Fastest lap: Biela, 1m 00.94s, 98.08mph / 157.81kmh.
CHAMPIONSHIP POSITIONS
Drivers: 1 Biela, 226 points; 2 Rydell, 146; 3 Menu, 143; 4
Winkelhock, 131; 5 Ravaglia, 125; 6 Bintcliffe, 102; 7 Leslie, 98; 8
Cleland, 79; 9 Hoy, 78; 10 Thompson, 69.
Manufacturers: 1 Audi, 235; 2 BMW, 207; =3 Volvo & Renault, 188;
5 Vauxhall, 137; 6 Honda, 136; 7 Ford, 63; 8 Peugeot, 54.
Total Cup Privateers: 1 Lee Brookes (GB/Toyota), 236; 2 Richard
Kaye, 230.
Next rounds: Aug 26, Thruxton.
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